Pot-head connector.



P. F. WILLIAMS.

PQT HEAD CONNECTOR. PPPP ICATIGN FILE'D OCT 9.1901.

1 1 54,823. Patented Sept. 28, 1915.

1 mg Z11 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL F. WILLIAMS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO G. & W. ELECTRIC SPECIALTY C0,, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

POT-HEAD CONNECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 28, 1915.

Application filed October 9, 1907. Serial No. 396,583.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL F.'VV1LLIAMs, a citizen of the United States, residingat Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Pot-Head Connectors, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relatesv to connectors for electrical service, and particularly to a form of connector adapted for use in connecting cables with overhead wires or conductors, or with other cables.

Prominent objects of my invention are to provide a simple, practical and inexpensive form. ofconnector; to adapt the same particularly for use with overhead wires and cables, and especially forconnection of such members in a vertical position, as for instance, upon electric light 01' telegraph poles, to make a perfect electrical connection be tween the two conductors, wires or cables; to permit the readyinstallation of the dc vice and disconnection of the same when in use to permit testing and changes. etc., to prevent injury to the device by arcing upon the breaking of the circuit at the same; and to secure the foregoingand other desirable ends in a simple and expeditious manner.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a pot head connector embodying my present invention; Figs. 2, 3 and i are sections taken respectively on lines 2+2, 33, i+l in Fig. 1.

The connector'shown herein for carrying out my invention, comprises a base member 1, an intermediate memberQ, and a top or head 3. The base 1, isconveniently tubular in form, and the intermediate member 2 is in the shape of a ring having an annular overhang 1, extending below the upper edge of the member '1, and serving as a water shed tl'iereior. The top 3 is conveniently conical in general form and provided with an annu-- lar overhanging or. water shed 5, partly covering the upper portion of the intermediate member 9. The lower member or base 1, is to receive the cable, and the upper memher 3 is to receive the overhead wire to be connected to the cable or to receive another cable. Connecting devices are provided within the members 1, 2 and 3 for connectmg said cable and wire. Insulating com pound 17 separates member 1 from the cable.

In the arrangement shown, the base 1 is provided with a metallic terminal 6, having a socket 7, into which the cable conductor is to be fitted and soldered. This terminal 6 has side projections 8 8 resting upon shoulders 99 formed near the upper end of the base 1, and is constructed with a socket 10 at this upper end.

The intermediate member contains coupling devices conveniently consisting of a plugll and a ring 12 having its lower end interiorly threaded and provided with outwardly projecting lugs 12l2 The lower end of the plug 11 is adapted to fit into the socket 10 of the terminal 6, and the threaded end of the ring 12 engages threads on the upper end of the terminal 6, and the upper end of this ring 12 is interiorly beveled or cone shaped and adapted to fitupon the inclmed or conical upper end 11 of the plug 11. The lugs 12"12 are fitted in recesses 1n the members 2 so as to be turned thereby, and are free to move longitudinally in said recesses. The head 3 is provided with a metallic terminal 13, having a socket 14, adapted to receive the wire or conductor to be secured to said cable and alsohaving a threaded lower end 15 adapted to fit into a threaded socket formed at the upper end of the plug coupling member 11. Thus by turning the intermediate member 2, the coupling members are adapted to operate and draw the terminals 6 and 13 toward each other to make a perfect electrical connec; tion between the same, the ring 12 making tight contact with the conical endof the plug 11 and also with the terminal 6 through the threaded connection therewith, and also causing the shoulder on plug 11 and top of member 6 to make tight contact with each other. The hole through the lower end of the cap 3, and the portion of the end 15 which fits therein, are square, to prevent turning of the terminal 13 whenthe device is being screwed together. 'The lower end of the terminal 13 has a cross-cut or slat 15 and a screw 15 to'close the same and thereby bind or look the threaded end of said terminal in the socket of the plug 11.

In using the device, the aerial. wire or conductor is fitted and sealed in the head 3 and then this head and the member 2 with the parts 11 and 12 therein, are put together,

and the end 15 of the terminal 13 screwed into I terminal 6 and make a tight contact as above specified.

It will be seen that the construction makes both a sliding and a screw connection, the sliding connection being between the terminal 6 and plug 11, and the screw connection between the ring 12 and terminal 6. In this way the tight firm grip of the screw connection is secured while at the same time a sliding contact or connec tion is provided which persists after the screw connection is undone when the device is taken apart. 4 In this way no harm can result from arcing for the final break will occur between the parts of the sliding connection and a knot between the screw threads of the screw contact. It willalso be seen that the connecting parts and terminals are entirely and completely closed in an insulated sheath which fully envelops them and that the connection and disconnection can be done by the manipulation of the.

sheath;- that is to say, the coupling or connecting members need not be handled to connect the parts of the device together, but such connection and disconnection is done from the outside of the sheath with the connecting members inside and completely incased. It will also be seen that the members 2 and 3 after the terminal 13 is connected to the plug 11, are fastened together so that should the device be opened up upon a pole top, these parts will not become separated, permitting one or the other to fall to the ground.

It will be understood that changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

"What I claim is 2- 1. A pot head. connector comprising base,

top and intermediate insulating members, mating terminals carried by the top and the base members, and coupling devices interlocking with the intermediate member and adapted to connect the terminals carried by said top and base members.

2. A pot head connector comprising top and base members made of insulating material, mating terminals adapted to be connected together carried by said top and base members, an intermediate member also made of insulating material and located between the top and base members, said intermediate member being adapted for rotation relatively to said top and base member,

metallic coupling devices carried by the intermediatemember and adapted to connect said terminals upon the rotation of said intermediate member.

3. A pot head connector comprising top and base members, an intermediate member between the same, metallic terminals for the top and base members, one of said terminals having a threaded projecting end, and the other having a socket, and coupling devices carried and controlled by the intermediate member, said coupling devices comprising a ring 12 threaded to engage one of said terminals and a plug member 11 adapted to fit into the socketed terminal and having a threaded socket capable of receiving the-threaded end of said other terminal, whereby said terminals are firmly connected together by turning said intermediatemember. 86

4. A pot head connector comprising a tubular base member 1, a conical top 3 having an overhang 5, an intermediate memher 2 having an overhang 4, a metallic terminal 6 arranged within the upper end of the base 1, and having its lower end socketed to receive the cable conductor and also having a socket formed in its up er end, a coupling member 11 fitted into the socket at the upper end of said terminal 6, said coupling member having its upper end inclined or conical shape, and provided with a threaded socket, a ring 12 fitted over the conical end of member 11, and its lower end interiorly threaded and engaging the upper 100 threaded end of the terminal 6, said ring 12 being carried by, and arranged to rotate with' the intermediate member 2, and a metallic terminal 13 carried by the head 3,a nd having a' socket 1% adapted to receive 105 the overhead wire and also having its lower end15 threaded so as to fit the threaded socket at the upper end of the member 11.

A device of the class specified, comprising a tubular member 1, a relatively 110 movable member at the upper end of said tubular member, and a cover or top member above said relatively movable member, terininals carried by the tubular and top members, and connecting devices carried and a(:- 115 tuated by the relatively movable member and adapted to connect said terminals.

6. A connector comprising end and inter- -mediate insulating members, mating termi- 3 fitted above the intermediate member 2 andhaving an overhang 5.

8. Connecting devices i'o'r a" connector, comprising terminals and a coupling device comprising twomembers having threaded engagement respectively with said terminals and having a clamping engagement with each other.

9. Connecting devices for a connectorthe terminal 13, and a ring 12 having its lower end interiorly threaded to engage the upper threaded end of the terminal 6, and having its upper end inclined to engage the conical sides of the member 11.

10. A device of the class described, having terminals for the ends of the cable or wire to be connected, and a clamping member to hold the terminals together, having a screw-threaded connection with one terminal and a clamping connection with the'other.

11. A device of the class specified, comprising terminals for the ends of the wires or cables to be connected, and clamping members to hold the terminals together, and one of the terminals being in the form of a plug, and the other in the formof a socket, and the clamping members being one in the form of a hollow plug, one of whose ends is adapted to receive the plug terminal, and the other of whose ends is adapted to fit into the socket of the other terminal, said hollow .plug member having conical sides and a shoulder to engage the socket terminal below said conical sides, and the other clamping member being screw-threaded to the socket terminal and having a conical bore to receive the conical sides of said plug memoer, whereby the rotation of said last mentioned clamping member clamps the socket terminal and the hollow plug member tightly together.

12. Connecting devices comprising a pair of terminals. one of which has a threaded end with a cross slot and locking screw, and the other of which has a socket and an exteriorly threaded end, a plug coupling member having a threaded socket to receive the -threaded end of said first mentioned terminal and having a conical end portion, and

having its other end fitted into the socket of said other terminal, and a collar fitted over member 3 fitted above the nal, the latter having laterally rojecting side lugs, and being adapted to t against a shoulder on said plug member and the threaded joint between said collar and terminal being of less length than the plug and socket engagement, whereby the former will be broken before the latter and coupling engagement with one another.

13. A casing for a connecting device, comprising an insulating tubular base member 1, an intermediate insulating member 2, hav ing an over-hang 4, extending down over and covering the upper portion of the base member 1, a conically shaped insulating intermediate member 2', and having an over-hang 5 covering the upper portion of the member 2, connecting devices confined in said members and arranged so that the relative turning of the intermediate member clamps the connecting devices together, and insulating material hermetically sealing the upper and lower insulating members 1 and 3.

14. A pot-head connector comprising base, top and intermediate members, whereof the base and top are provided with mating terminals for conductors or cables, and coupling devices operated by the intermediate v member and adapted to force said terminals together by the movement of said intermediate member relatively to the top and base members.

15. A connector comprising insulating,

end members and a movable intermediate insulating member, terminals carried by the end members, and connecting devices for detachably connecting said terminals, carried and actuated by the intermediate member which by its movement operates the connecting devices.

16. A connector comprising end and intermediate insulating members, terminals carried by the end members, and connecting devices for detachably connecting said terminals, carried and actuated by the intermediate, member, and hermetically sealing means for the conductors in the end members.

17. A pothead connector comprising base, top, and intermediate insulating members, terminals carried by said top and base members, and a coupling device surrounded by said intermediate member and in operative engagement therewith, said device being adapted to connect the terminals carried by said top and base members.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 5th day of October A. D.,

PAUL F. \VILLIAMS. \Vitnesses A. MILLER BELFIELD, Ina E. KLIPs'rEiN. 

